Our Sharks vs Stormers preview

This match is the Super Rugby match of the weekend in South Africa as in 2012 the Sharks reached the Super Rugby final but the Stormers won the South African Conference.

Out of the last five matches between the Sharks and the Stormers the Sharks have won two and the Stormers three.

The Sharks are on a two match winning streak against the Stormers but before that streak started the Stormers enjoyed a three match winning streak against the Sharks.

Since 1998 the Sharks and Stormers have played each other 18 times and both teams have won 9 matches each so it's a 50% win/loss record for both teams.

The average score when the Sharks play the Stormers slightly favours the Stormers as it is Sharks 20 Stormers 22.

This match will be played in Durban where the team have played each other 9 times. The Sharks have won five of those 9 matches so they have a 56% winning record against the Stormers at home.

In Durban however the average score slightly favours the Sharks as it is Sharks 21 Stormers 20.

Last week the Sharks beat the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein 22-29 however the final score does not tell the whole story. The Sharks went out to a 5-26 lead but lost concentration and allowed the Cheetahs to come back and 12 minutes from time the score was 22-26.

If the Sharks take their eye off the ball this week as they did against the Cheetahs the Stormers have the skills to punish them.

In terms of selection the Sharks have made one change and rotated Jean Deysel with Jacques Botes who drops down to the bench.

Last week Elton Jantjies had a shocker of a match as far as his goal kicking is concerned. The Stormers have stuck with him for this week but they have named Joe Pietersen at fullback and Peter Grant is on the bench.

The Stormers were well off their usual form last week and will need to take a big step up if they are to beat the Sharks let alone win a third South African Conference title.

Even though the Sharks allowed the Cheetahs to score 17 unanswered points last week they will be at home and having beaten the Stormers in their last two matches they must be the favourites.

Average score: Sharks 20 Stormers 22

Last five results
28 Jul 2012 (Semi-final) Sharks v Stormers 26-19 Cape Town
26 May 2012 Sharks v Stormers 25-20 Durban
03 Mar 2012Sharks v Stormers 12-15 Cape Town
30 Apr 2011 Sharks v Stormers 12-32 Cape Town
02 Apr 2011 Sharks v Stormers 6-16 Durban

Sharks overall record against the Stormers
Played 18 , Wins 9, Losses 9, Draws 0

Match No.15 : Sharks v Stormers
Date : Saturday 2 March
Venue : Kings Park, Durban
Kick Off local: 19:10
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Assistant Ref 1:Jaco Peyper
Assistant Ref 2:Cobus Wessels
TMO : Shaun Veldsman

Teams

Sharks

15. Louis Ludik, 14. JP Pietersen, 13. Paul Jordaan, 12. Francois Steyn (C), 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Patrick Lambie , 9. Cobus Reinach, 8. Ryan Kankowski , 7. Jean Deysel, 6. Marcell Coetzee, 5. Franco van der Merwe , 4. Anton Bresler, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Craig Burden , 1. Tendai Mtawarira

Replacements: 16. Kyle Cooper, 17. Wiehahn Herbst, 18. Pieter-Steph du Toit , 19. Jacques Botes, 20. Charl McLeod, 21. Meyer Bosman , 22. Odwa Ndungane

Stormers

15. Joe Pietersen,14. Gio Aplon,13. Jean de Villiers (captain),12. Damian de Allende,11. Bryan Habana,10. Elton Jantjies,9. Nic Groom,8. Duane Vermeulen (vice-captain),7. Rynhardt Elstadt,6. Siya Kolisi,5. Andries Bekker,4. De Kock Steenkamp,3. Frans Malherbe,2. Deon Fourie,1. Steven Kitshoff

Replacements : 16. Martin Bezuidenhout,17. Pat Cilliers,18. Don Armand,19. Nizaam Carr,20. Louis Schreuder,21. Peter Grant,22. Gerhard van den Heever

SuperXV

Our Preview for the Rugby Premiership, Round 17

Bath second row Dominic Day admits that it is win at all costs when they welcome West Country rivals Gloucester to the Rec on Friday.

Day and co will be itching to return to winning ways after their run of six straight victories in all competitions came to an end with their narrow 23-25 defeat at Northampton Saints.

Currently seventh on the Premiership table, but only seven points behind the Cherry and Whites in fourth, a victory would catapult them back into the play-off race.

And after putting their rivals to the sword in the LV= Cup at Kingsholm at the start of February, Day knows that Gloucester will be itching for revenge when hostilities resume.

"If we want to get into the top-four then pure and simple this is a must-win game for us," he said.

"After the defeat to Northampton Saints last time out we cannot afford to let another one of our top-four rivals steal a march on us.

"There has been a bit of an extra edge to training this week with the derby game coming up.

"Gloucester will be gunning for us after we beat them pretty handily in the cup a few weeks back at Kingsholm."

Bath's only defeat at The Rec in their last 11 games in any tournament since September was against Saracens in Premiership just before Christmas.

Meanwhile Gloucester have only won once since September on their travels, earlier this month at Franklin's Gardens, and Andy Hazell knows he and his teammates have their work cut out for them.

"Bath for me have been the in-form team of the last month. I know they lost to Northampton last weekend but it's still going to be a really tough one for us," he said.

"We have two weeks off after this game so we can go and throw everything at them and hopefully we'll still be in that top four during that time.

"Bath have an all round game now, the forwards have a good driving game and they have some strike runners in the backs like Matt Banahan and pace out on the wings and in the back three with Tom Biggs and Nick Abendanon.

"They are definitely the best Bath team I have played against at the breakdown, and they really get in and disrupt your ball."

We look at all the Round 17 action!

Friday, March 1

Worcester Warriors v London Wasps
(Sixways – Kick-off: 20.00; 20.00 GMT)

London Wasps director of rugby Dai Young has warned his side against a Worcester Warriors backlash this weekend following their last-gasp cruel loss against Gloucester at Kingsholm on Friday.

Worcester crashed 29-23 against Gloucester last weekend, conceding an injury-time penalty try and seeing full-back Errie Claassens red carded in the process.

The late controversy saw Richard Hill's Worcester slip to a fifth successive Premiership loss, meaning the Warriors still have not won in the league in 2013.

And with London Irish recording an impressive 30-19 win against Young's London Wasps at the Madejski Stadium last Sunday - Worcester are now nervously looking over their shoulders.

Teams:

Worcester Warriors: 15 Errie Claassens, 14 Chris Pennell, 13 Alex Grove, 12 Jon Clarke, 11 David Lemi, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Jonny Arr, 8 Blair Cowan, 7 Matt Kvesic, 6 Neil Best, 5 Dean Schofield, 4 James Percival (captain), 3 Euan Murray, 2 Ed Shervington, 1 Matt Mullan.
Replacements: 16 Aleki Lutui, 17 Ceri Jones, 18 John Andress, 19 Craig Gillies, 20 Sam Betty, 21 Paul Hodgson, 22 Danny Gray, 23 Josh Matavesi.

Wasps: 15 Hugo Southwell (captain), 14 Elliot Daly, 13 Andrea Masi, 12 Chris Bell, 11 Tom Varndell, 10 Nick Robinson 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Sam Jones, 7 Jonathan Poff, 6 Ashley Johnson, 5 Marco Wentzel, 4 James Cannon, 3 Phil Swainston, 2 T Rhys Thomas, 1 Tim Payne.
Replacements: 16 Tom Lindsay, 17 Zak Taulafo , 18 Will Taylor, 19 Alex Rae, 20 Matt Everard, 21 Stuart Commins, 22 Stephen Jones, 23 Charlie Hayter.

Referee: Greg Garner
Assistant Referees: Paul Burton, Paul Dix
TMO: TBC

Bath v Gloucester
(The Rec – Kick-off: 20.00; 20.00 GMT)

Bath second row Dominic Day admits that it is win at all costs when they welcome West Country rivals Gloucester to the Rec on Friday.

Day and co will be itching to return to winning ways after their run of six straight victories in all competitions came to an end with their narrow 23-25 defeat at Northampton Saints.

Currently seventh on the Premiership table, but only seven points behind the Cherry and Whites in fourth, a victory would catapult them back into the play-off race.

Teams:

Bath: 15 Nick Abendanon, 14 Horacio Agulla, 13 Matt Banahan, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Tom Biggs, 10 Tom Heathcote, 9 Peter Stringer, 8 Ben Skirving, 7 Carl Fearns, 6 Francois Louw (captain), 5 Dave Attwood, 4 Dominic Day, 3 David Wilson, 2 Rob Webber, 1 Paul James.
Replacements: 16 Ross Batty, 17 Nathan Catt, 18 Anthony Perenise, 19 Will Spencer, 20 Mat Gilbert, 21 Michael Claassens, 22 Sam Vesty, 23 Semesa Rokoduguni.

Gloucester: 15 Rob Cook, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Henry Trinder, 12 Mike Tindall (captain), 11 Jonny May, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Akapusi Qera, 6 Tom Savage, 5 Will James, 4 Lua Lokotui, 3 Rupert Harden, 2 Darren Dawidiuk, 1 Nick Wood.
Replacements: 16 Huia Edmonds, 17 Dan Murphy, 18 Dario Chistolini, 19 Peter Buxton, 20 Andy Hazell, 21 Dave Lewis, 22 Ryan Mills, 23 Martyn Thomas.

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
Assistant Referee: Stuart Terheege, Ashley Rowden
TMO: Geoff Warren

Saturday, March 2

Leicester v Sale
(Welford Road – Kick-off: 15.00; 15.00 GMT)

Leicester Tigers' only win in their last four games was 28-12 over London Welsh at Welford Road in Premiership on 9 February.

Tigers slipped up 27-32 at home to Saracens on Saturday evening but have not lost back to back encounters at Welford Road since October 2011.

Sale Sharks' four match winning run in all competitions ended with their 21-30 home defeat to table-topping Harlequins on Friday.

The Sharks have won their last two away games in all competitions but have not won three in a row on the road in the same season since October 2006.

The Tigers have won their last six fixtures with the Sharks since Sale won 15-12 at Edgeley Park on 4 September 2009. The Sharks' only victory at Welford Road since November 2003 was 14-11 in the Premiership on 23 February 2008.

Teams:

Leicester: TBC

Sale: TBC

Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant Referees: Peter Huckle & Gordon Goodliffe.
TMO: TBC

Northampton Saints v London Irish
(Franklin’s Gardens – Kick-off: 15.00; 15.00 GMT)

Northampton Saints have won three of their last four Premiership matches and remarkably have won only two of their last five fixtures at Franklin's Gardens in the tournament.

Northampton Saints have won three of their last four Premiership matches and remarkably have won only two of their last five fixtures at Franklin's Gardens in the tournament.

London Irish beat Wasps 30-19 at Madejski Stadium on Sunday and have now won three of their last four games in the competition. The Exiles only away win this season in Premiership was 18-12 at Gloucester in round 13.

London Irish beat Northampton 39-17 when the two clubs met at Madejski Stadium in round six. The Irishmen have never before achieved a league double over the Saints. The Exiles won on their most recent visit to Franklin's Gardens: 14-13 on 17 September 2011.

Teams:

Northampton: TBC

London Irish: TBC

Referee: J.P. Doyle
Assistant Referees: Gareth Copsey & Nigel Carrick.
TMO: TBC

Harlequins v Exeter Chiefs
(Twickenham Stoop – Kick-off: 15.15; 15.15 GMT)

Harlequins' only defeat in their last 13 contests in all competitions was 16-17 to London Wasps at the Twickenham Stoop in Premiership on 9 February - this represents their only defeat at the venue this season.

Exeter Chiefs' five match winless run in the Premiership ended on Saturday with their 47-16 victory over London Welsh at Sandy Park. The Devonians have not won on the road in Premiership since their visit to London Irish on 25 November.

Exeter are one of only four sides to have beaten Harlequins in the Premiership this season, and are chasing a first ever league double over the Londoners. The Chiefs have lost on all three previous visits to the Stoop in all competitions.

Teams:

Harlequins: TBC

Exeter Chiefs: TBC

Referee: David Rose
Assistant Referees: Roy Maybank & Andrew Pearce.
TMO: Graham Hughes.

Sunday, March 3

Saracens v London Welsh
(Allianz Park: Kick-off: 14.14; 14.45 GMT)

Saracens only defeat in their last eleven encounters in all competitions was 16-29 at London Irish in Premiership on 9 February.

Saracens have not lost any home game at their seven different home venues since Clermont Auvergne won 22-3 at Vicarage Road in the quarterfinal of last season's European Cup.

London Welsh have slipped to six successive Premiership defeats since beating London Irish 15-9 at Kassam Stadium on 1 December. The Exiles' solo away victory in the competition remains at 29-19 when they visited Sale on 21 September.

Saracens won 28-23 at Oxford in their only previous Premiership encounter with London Welsh, whilst the Welshmen's only previous league win over Saracens was 23-7 way back on 12 September 1987 at Southgate in league division two (London Welsh's very first league game).

Teams:

Saracens: TBC

London Welsh: TBC

Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant Referees: Kevin Stewart & Andrew Watson.
TMO: David Grashoff

Rugby365

Australian Wallabies to be rested ahead of Lions series

The Australian Rugby Union has confirmed that the Wallabies will go into camp three weeks before their eagerly-awaited series against the British & Irish Lions this year.

Australia coach Robbie Deans has previously stressed the need for a dedicated window to prepare his players but their Super Rugby employers had hoped their players would be available for their own clashes with the elite tourists in the build-up to the Test series that kicks off at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on June 22.

ARU chief executive Bill Pulver has announced that a squad of 25 players will gather on June 2 to ready themselves for "their once in a lifetime opportunity" but certain players may yet be released for Super Rugby duty with two potentially key all-Australian derbies scheduled to take place during the same period. "If those Super Rugby matches have significant bearing on the competition standings, and finals spots are at stake, ARU will take that under serious consideration," Pulver said in a statement.

The three-week preparation window is a similar approach to 2001 when Wallabies players missed games between the Waratahs and Brumbies against the Lions. All Blacks and Springboks Test players were also unavailable for provincial games during the Lions tours to New Zealand and South Africa in 2005 and 2009 respectively.

"There is no doubt from an Australian Rugby perspective that when the Lions come to Australia for their nine-match tour from 5 June to 6 July the primary objective is for the Qantas Wallabies to win the three-Test series and preparation is crucial," said Pulver.

"The Lions will be battle hardened, make no mistake. Their players are currently involved in the Six Nations Championship in Europe. They will also have a match in Hong Kong en route to Australia and five lead-up games to the first Test.

"A tour of this magnitude, featuring nine matches, provides the opportunity to expose a wide group of players across the country to international Rugby. That is great for the players, and the game in Australia."

The initial 25-man Wallabies squad will have additional players added on June 10, following the Brumbies v Rebels (June 7) and Waratahs v Force (June 9) games.

ESPN

Our predictions for all the SupeRugby games

Unless he’s delusional, DHL Stormers coach Allister Coetzee must have been doing some biting of his tongue when he told a Cape Town media conference this week that the results at this time of the year are irrelevant and there is no pressure on his team.

While it is true that the Sharks recovered last year from a poor start to play in the final, and the Stormers themselves very nearly did it back in Rassie Erasmus’ first year in charge in 2008, when they lost their first three matches and then were one bonus point short at the end of the league phase, having a record of played two lost two is not something Coetzee will want.

Such a start to the season, with the champion Chiefs coming to Newlands the following week with a point to prove, would place the Stormers under massive pressure. And while the Sharks did recover from a slow start last season to play in the final, you just have to speak to the Sharks coaches about what they went through to get there.

They were on a final footing from about Easter, with every game being a must-win, and even then they could only finish in a position that forced them to fly to Brisbane for a quarterfinal.

The Stormers do have an easier run in during the second half of the competition, and they do have enough depth now to sustain injuries and still be a strong unit when that stage arrives. But chasing the game in the SA conference battle and on the overall log table is not something that the Stormers are used to doing, at least not the current crop under the coaching of Coetzee.

We can only guess at how they will respond to the sort of pressure that for the Sharks has become almost second nature given the habit they have made over the past three seasons of starting the season like they spent the summer scoffing sleeping pills. The Cape media is not exactly renowned for sense of perspective, and Coetzee must know that is as big a reason as any to avoid falling into a hole that might just be made out to be a crater in the city that he lives.

You just had to be at the press conference at Loftus following last week’s game to establish that Coetzee and skipper Jean de Villiers didn’t take the defeat to the Bulls well, and the Sharks should be warned that when they spoke about doing a lot of hard, honest talking and putting in a big effort on the training field during the week they would have meant it.

For his part, Sharks coach John Plumtree is under no illusions that the Stormers will be better this week than they were in Pretoria. That being so, his own men might have to be improved on their effort in Bloemfontein if they hope to avenge last year’s Currie Cup final defeat. But last week it was the Bulls who were under more pressure as they were playing at home, this week it’s the Stormers who face the pressure after already dropping one game.

One thing that Coetzee is right about when he talks about less pressure early in the season is that the teams tend not to be as consistent and get the momentum they do later in the competition, and it is difficult to really talk about form and make predictions based on that. It will take a couple of weeks for the pattern of the competition to establish itself.

However, the two teams that can be said to be in form at the moment based on more than one match are the Brumbies and the Bulls, with the latter having shown the same form last week against the Stormers that they did during an impressive pre-season.

Apart from the game in Durban, the interest this week should focus on the Crusaders’ entry into the competition. They play the Blues in Auckland first up and that’s going to be a tough ask for them given how the Blues played last week in Wellington.

WEEKEND PREVIEWS AND PREDICTIONS

FRIDAY

Blues v Crusaders Auckland, Auckland 08:35am

The Crusaders should be pleased they’re not making their entry into the competition after a bye in the opening week against an Australian team as that would mean they would be playing a team that’s already played twice. But the Blues were sharp in their first game last week and the Crusaders are up against it. The Todd Blackadder era has not been convincing and there are a lot of questions that have to be asked about where they are going as a franchise, but on paper the Crusaders look strong, and to my mind they are always less beatable when they have John Plumtree lookalike Kieran Read at the helm.

Prediction: Crusaders by less than 5.

Waratahs v Rebels, Sydney 10:20am

The Waratahs have a lot of people expecting big things of them but they started on a false note last week in Brisbane. It was their first game though and the Reds were playing their second, so this match will tell us more about the Waratahs’ potential. They should win convincingly.

Prediction: Waratahs by 7 to 15.

Reds v Hurricanes, Brisbane 12:20pm

The Hurricanes enjoyed an unexpected resurgence last year but were disappointing in losing their first match to the Blues – at home too. They have Conrad Smith back as captain this week and that will make a big difference, but I’m expecting the Reds to re-establish Brisbane as a fortress this season so they start with a slight edge.

Prediction: Reds by less than 7.

SATURDAY

Chiefs v Cheetahs, Hamilton 08:35am

Sarel Pretorius is back for the Cheetahs and they played some inspiring rugby in New Zealand last year. But the Chiefs were awesome last week and the Cheetahs have just done one of those long flights across the time-zones, so any optimism of an upset is wishful thinking.

Prediction: Chiefs by 15+

Vodacom Bulls v Western Force, Loftus 5:05pm

Frans Ludeke spoke about his team’s first “international opposition” after last week’s game as if the Western Force were something to fear. In truth the only people who should be fearing anything on Saturday is the Australians, for it would be the shock of the century if they won at Loftus, where the Bulls were very impressive against the Stormers. The Bulls have lost players to injury but they should win comfortably, with even my prediction being perhaps a bit conservative.

Prediction: Bulls by 18+

Sharks v DHL Stormers, Kings Park 7:10pm

Was last week the wake-up call the Stormers needed? If it was, and they have now finally shaken off any complacency derived from last year’s Currie Cup success, they could well win Saturday’s big derby at Kings Park. They have the pack, it’s just going to have get into the game earlier and execute better than was the case at Loftus. But the Sharks have a strong pack too and I like the look of it when Jean Deysel is on the flank. Frans Steyn has also been added to the mix at the back since the Currie Cup season so there isn’t any noticeable superiority for the Stormers backs this time, and my money says that if the Sharks play to their potential they’ll win.

Prediction: Sharks to win by 1 to 7.

SuperSport

Our SupeRugby game preview for this weekend

It’s the big coastal derby and a replay of last year’s all-South African Vodacom Super Rugby semi-final – this time in Durban – when The Sharks host the DHL Stormers on Saturday afternoon.

The Sharks kicked the 2013 season off with a good win over the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, while the DHL Stormers were trumped by the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria last weekend.

Roughly 24 hours after their defeat to last year’s runners up, the Toyota Cheetahs hopped on a plane and will continue their hellish start to the season in Hamilton this weekend, against the defending champions, the Chiefs, on Saturday morning (SA time).

In the third match featuring South African sides, the Vodacom Bulls will be looking to “take the lead” against the Western Force in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon. The Southern Kings have a bye.

Chiefs v Toyota Cheetahs

Imagine starting your Vodacom Super Rugby campaign against the top two sides from the previous season in the first two weeks. For the Toyota Cheetahs, this is exactly how their start to 2013 turned out. A tough one, indeed!

Naka Drotské’s team, hoping to improve on their best-ever tour of last year, when they accumulated 11 log points Down under, will be buoyed by their late charge against The Sharks last weekend, when they fought back from 5-26 down to 22-26 with 12 minutes left on the clock. It was a stirring fight-back, but in the end not enough.

The Chiefs kicked off the defence of their Vodacom Super Rugby crown in impressive fashion against the Highlanders in Dunedin last weekend (41-27), a result which would probably instil them as clear favourites on Saturday. Add to this the Toyota Cheetahs’ record in New Zealand of one win and one draw from 16 matches, and you can see why the men from Waikato are the favourites.

But looking back at the results of the six matches between these two sides in the past, an interesting trend emerges.

Apart from 2009, when the Chiefs won 28-10 in Kimberley (they finished runners up that season), two games were drawn (2007 in Bloem and 2010 in Hamilton), while the score difference in the other three matches was six (2012), two (2008) and one (2006), all in favour of the Chiefs.

The average score in these six matches is 28-24 to the Chiefs.

The Toyota Cheetahs, never shy of throwing the ball around, would like to play with an even more attacking mindset this week, with instinct rather than too much structure.

But the Free Staters’ management are wary of the powerful Chiefs, especially after the defending champions brushed aside the Highlanders with relative ease in Dunedin last weekend.

The teams are:

Chiefs: Gareth Anscombe, Lelia Masaga, Tim Nanai-Williams, Bundee Aki, Asaeli Tikoirotuma, Aaron Cruden, Augustine Pulu, Fritz Lee, Sam Cane, Liam Messam (captain), Brodie Retallick, Michael Fitzgerald, Ben Afeaki, Hika Elliot, Pauliasi Manu. Replacements: Rhys Marshall, Ben Tameifuna, Craig Clarke, Tanerau Latimer, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Charlie Ngatai, Patrick Osborne.

Toyota Cheetahs: Hennie Daniller, Willie le Roux, Johann Sadie, Robert Ebersohn, Raymond Rhule, Johan Goosen, Sarel Pretorius, Philip van der Walt, Lappies Labuschagne, Frans Viljoen, Francois Uys, Lood de Jager, Lourens Adriaanse, Adriaan Strauss (captain), Trevor Nyakane. Replacements: Ryno Barnes, Coenie Oosthuizen, Ligtoring Landman, Boom Prinsloo, Piet van Zyl, Riaan Smit, Ryno Benjamin.

Kick-off: SA Time: 08:35

Venue: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

Referee: Mike Frasier (New Zealand)

Assistant referees: Garratt Williamson (New Zealand), Glen Jackson (New Zealand)

Television match official: Vinny Munro (New Zealand)

Vodacom Bulls v Western Force

This might come as a surprise to many, but the Vodacom Bulls and Western Force are even in the head-to-head stakes, with three wins each in their six previous encounters!

Yes, the three-time champions from Pretoria have won three and lost three against the Force, a team that has only once finished in the top half of the standings (they were seventh in 2007).

That includes the shock defeat in 2007 at Loftus Versfeld against the team from Perth, a few months before the Vodacom Bulls lifted the trophy for the very first time.

What makes this even more impressive (if you back the Force) / disturbing (if you support the Bulls), is that the men from Pretoria have won 68% (19 out of 28) of their matches against Australian sides since 2006, when the Force came into being.

Does that make the Force the Vodacom Bulls’ Aussie bogey side? Well, if you compare the Pretorians’ success rate against the other Aussie teams, it certainly does (in some way or form).

Excluding the Rebels and looking at results from 2006 onwards, the Bulls have won all seven their matches against the Waratahs, won four and lost two against the Brumbies and won three and lost four against the Reds – but never at Loftus.

“We are grateful for the win (over the DHL Stormers last weekend), but this week we face a new opponent that will post new challenges,” said Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke.

“The Western Force has been a difficult opponent in the past and will again ask questions to our all round game and our defence. We have prepared well though and will be looking forward to the challenge.”

Vodacom Bulls captain Pierre Spies said a strong performance at Loftus would be very important as the Pretorians prepare for their tour to Australia and New Zealand.

“We cannot look past this match as it will determine the mind-set we will take onto tour. So this is a very important match for us,” Spies said.

The teams are:

Vodacom Bulls: Zane Kirchner, Sampie Mastriet, Lionel Mapoe, Wynand Olivier, Bjorn Basson, Morné Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies (captain), Arno Botha, Jacques Potgieter, Juandré Kruger, Flip van der Merwe, Werner Kruger, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Morné Mellett. Replacements: Willie Wepener, Frik Kirsten, Grant Hattingh, Jean Cook, Jano Vermaak, Louis Fouché, Jan Serfontein.

Western Force: TBC on www.sarugby.co.za

Kick-off: SA Time: 17:05

Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Referee: Jason Jaftha (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa), Sieg van Staden (South Africa)

Television match official: Johan Greeff (South Africa)

The Sharks v DHL Stormers

In 2012, the DHL Stormers and The Sharks set the tone in South Africa in Vodacom Super Rugby. The team from Cape Town won the SA conference for the second year running and the men from Durban defied all odds and finished runners up despite a rigorous travel schedule during the Finals Series.

En route to the final, The Sharks beat the DHL Stormers in a tough semi-final at DHL Newlands. But that will count for nothing when these two heavyweights line up at Kings Park on Saturday.

The “score” of nine-all from their previous 18 clashes in Vodacom Super Rugby, indicates an even contest. And with a try-fest probably not on the cards (less than a third of early season matches in Durban yield try-scoring bonus points – eight from 30, to be precise) it will be one of using opportunities.

Sharks coach John Plumtree said his team would have to improve at the breakdown this week, while Jean Deysel’s inclusion at loose forward for Jacques Botes gives them an extra option at lineout time.

“The Stormers hit you hard, so you need to make sure you maintain possession when they do,” said Plumtree. We’ve worked on that in training, it’s a big focus, you need to keep the ball.”

Allister Coetzee, coach of the DHL Stormers, said: “The Sharks will always be a quality side. We said right from the start that it would be a tough start for us this season – playing two games away from home and playing three of the best franchises (first up).

“The Sharks aren’t the favourites for nothing. They are playing well, they are coming off a good win over the Cheetahs, they have a good squad and certain players are already on song.” 

The teams are:

The Sharks: Louis Ludik, JP Pietersen, Paul Jordaan, Frans Steyn (captain), Lwazi Mvovo, Patrick Lambie, Cobus Reinach, Ryan Kankowski, Jean Deysel, Marcell Coetzee, Franco van der Merwe, Anton Bresler, Jannie du Plessis, Craig Burden, Tendai (Beast) Mtawarira. Replacements: Kyle Cooper, Wiehahn Herbst, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jacques Botes, Charl McLeod, Meyer Bosman, Odwa Ndungane.

DHL Stormers: Joe Pietersen, Gio Aplon, Jean de Villiers (captain), Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana, Elton Jantjies, Nic Groom, Duane Vermeulen (vice-captain), Rynhardt Elstadt, Siya Kolisi, Andries Bekker, De Kock Steenkamp, Frans Malherbe, Deon Fourie, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: Martin Bezuidenhout, Pat Cilliers, Don Armand, Nizaam Carr, Louis Schreuder, Peter Grant, Gerhard van den Heever.

Kick-off: SA Time: 19:10

Venue: Kings Park, Durban

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Cobus Wessels (South Africa)

Assistant referees: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

Other fixtures (SA times):

Friday, 1 March:

08:30: Blues v Crusaders (Auckland)

10:20: Waratahs v Rebels (Sydney)

12:20: Reds v Hurricanes (Brisbane)

Byes: Highlanders, Brumbies, Southern Kings

SaRugby

Our SuperRugby Team of the Week - Round Two

It was a weekend of intrigue and surprises. Our famous weekly selection reflects these results.

There is a big spread, with eight teams represented in our starting XV.

There are four Sharks and three Southern Kings, which is just reward for their impressive and deserved wins.

The Chiefs, Blues (two each), Brumbies, Highlanders, Bulls and Reds (one each) make up the numbers.

Our back-up team also has a big spread - four Chiefs, three Bulls, two each from the Blues and Hurricanes, as well as one each from the Reds, Stormers, Sharks and Brumbies.

Team of the Week - Round Two:

15 - Jesse Mogg (Brumbies):

He is making string claims to be the Wallaby fullback against the Lions. Safe under the high ball, good positional play, a booming boot and not to bad on the counter either.

Bubbling under: Gareth Anscombe (Chiefs)

14 - Sergeal Petersen (Southern Kings):

Dream debut! Three months ago he was writing his final school exams, now he is fulfilling his promise as a rugby player.

Bubbling under: Frank Halai (Blues)

13 - Tim Nanai-Williams (Chiefs):

And they said the Chiefs would miss Sonny Bill Williams. How wrong they were.

Bubbling under: Conrad Smith (Hurricanes)

12 - Francis Saili (Blues):

One of several exciting young talents at the Blues, Saili is a genuine threat to opposition defences.

Bubbling under: Ben Tapuai (Reds)

11 - Hosea Gear (Highlanders):

Played well in a losing cause and showed his class again.

Bubbling under: Bryan Habana (Stormers)

10 - Patrick Lambie (Sharks):

Outplayed Bok rival Johan Goosen on the day, even though Goosen had a good second half.

Bubbling under: Morné Steyn (Bulls)

9 - Piri Weepu (Blues):

The trimmed down version of the All Black showed how important he is going to be to the Blues' cause this year.

Bubbling under: Francois Hougaard (Bulls)

8 - Pierre Spies (Bulls):

Another player who put a disappointing 2012 behind him and is looking in good nick.

Bubbling under: Peter Saili (Blues)

7 - Marcell Coetzee (Sharks):

Carrying from where he left off last year. Another big season awaits for the Bok.

Bubbling under: Sam Cane (Chiefs)

6 - Eddie Quirk (Reds):

Just in case people thought Scott Higginbotham's departure would be a loss, Quirk showed us why not!

Bubbling under: Liam Messam (Chiefs)

5 - Steven Sykes (Kings):

He may have pushed the envelope at times, but Sykes was pure class and vital to the Kings' cause.

Bubbling under: Franco van der Merwe (Sharks)

4 - Craig Clarke (Chiefs):

He made as big a statement as the rest of his teammates, but he brings added value as a captain.

Bubbling under: Jeremy Thrush (Hurricanes)

3 - Jannie du Plessis (Sharks):

The Bok veteran is the anchor in a solid Sharks scrum.

Bubbling under: Ben Afeaki (Chiefs)

2 - Bandise Maku (Kings):

Another player who was lambasted for moving to Port Elizabeth, only to prove his detractors wrong.

Bubbling under: Stephen Moore (Brumbies)

1 - Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks):

The Beast is alive and well!

Bubbling under: Morné Mellet (Bulls)

Our individual selections:

Nicholas Tatham XV: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Tim Nanai-Williams, 12 Christian Lealiifano, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Eddie Quirk, 5 Steven Sykes, 4 Ali Williams, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Morné Mellet.

Michael de Vries XV: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Tim Nanai-Williams, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Josh Bekhuis, 4 Hugh Pyle, 3 Ben May, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Ben Alexander.

Paul Dobson XV: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Francis Saili, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Peter Saili, 7 David Pocock, 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Ben Afeaki, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Quintin van Jaarsveld XV: 15 Gareth Anscombe, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Tim Nanai-Williams, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Eddie Quirk, 5 Steven Sykes, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Leonard Kaplan XV: 15 Gareth Anscombe, 14 Frank Halai, 13 Tim Nanai-Williams, 12 Francis Saili, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Patrick Lambie, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Ben Mowen, 7 David Pocock, 6 Eddie Quirk, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Ben Afeaki, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.

Jan de Koning XV: 15 SP Marais, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Tim Nanai-Williams, 12 Francis Saili, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Eddie Quirk, 5 Steven Sykes, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Morné Mellet.

Previous selections:

Team of the Week - Round One: 15 Jesse Mogg (Brumbies), 14 Henry Speight (Brumbies), 13 Andrew Smith (Brumbies), 12 Kyle Godwin (Western Force), 11 Alfie Mafi (Western Force), 10 Kurtley Beale (Melbourne Rebels), 9 Nic White (Brumbies), 8 Ben Mowen (Western Force), 7 David Pocock (Brumbies), 6 Scott Higginbotham (Melbourne Rebels), 5 Toby Lynn (Western Force), 4 Hugh Pyle (Melbourne Rebels), 3 Laurie Weeks (Melbourne Rebels), 2 Stephen Moore (Brumbies), 1 Ben Alexander (Brumbies).

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